Simplicity at its best
Japanese eatery offers affordable, tasty food
Chiba-Ken is a gem of a restaurant, both stylish and contemporary, without playing with food and without trying too hard to be cool, which in my book is the definition of cool.
A handful of similar-sized newcomers have gone overboard in forcing an East-meets-West theme, ending up with decor that's pure mishmash and kitsch. Chiba-ken gets it right with the casual simplicity of plain tables against a backdrop of color, a combination of autumnal orange and mint that manages to be both cheerful and subdued. Picture-glass windows and a door that opens to a small al fresco dining area add to the restaurant's open feel.
What's most surprising is that, given its Waikiki address, Chiba-ken can be very affordable for those who stick with rolled sushi and a few appetizers and a grill item. I would find it very easy to live on a handroll of salmon and avocado ($3.90) and Chiba salad ($6.90) of lettuce topped with the same smoked salmon and baby Roma tomatoes, or boiled spinach with sesame dressing ($3.50).
Given the affordability factor, the new restaurant seems to have won a following among its condo-dwelling neighbors, who start settling in about 6:30 p.m. Those who work in the area until closing time of 10 or 11 p.m. can also get a bite before going home, as the restaurant keeps serving until midnight.
Because it is so new, the menu is still in flux as chef and customers get to know one another. The non-vinegared sushi, for example, might be a bit strange to locals, but it won't stay that way for long because local diners have already made their preference known and the restaurant will soon be making the adjustment.
Another change coming next month will be an expanded menu of teishoku plates. It's all good because they already have a great a la carte menu to build on.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Chiba-ken is the newest Japanese restaurant and sushi bar in Waikiki, on Ena Road. Owner and sushi chef Koji Okada shows a selection of sushi.
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WHILE MANY of the newer Japanese restaurants have focused on niches such as robata cooking or oden, Chiba-ken takes a broader approach. Sushi is its mainstay, but those with a need for variety will also find grilled and deep-fried specialties.
Nigiri sushi runs from $3.25 for your basic tamago to $8.50 for sea urchin or amaebi. In between are mackerel for $3.75, tuna for $4.75 and yellowtail for $5.50. Fancy rolls such as rainbow or caterpillar are $11.50. You won't go wrong by simply ordering off the list of daily specials that includes a range of nigiri sushi and rolls. Scallop nigiri ($6.50) on this menu, recommended by our server, were luxuriously thick and sweet. Other offerings might include chu toro ($8.50), shrimp tempura roll ($9.75) or spider roll ($9.75).
Until the teishoku menu kicks in, you'll pay $1.50 for miso soup, one of a handful of appetizers, which also include deep-fried tofu in broth ($6.75), pork belly simmered in sweetened soy sauce ($8.50), and cucumber and seaweed salad ($3.50).
Those who favor grilled foods will find $2.25 beef sticks, skewered gizzards ($2.25) and tsukeneya for $2.50, with three of the chicken meatballs per skewer, each brushed with a light teriyaki sauce. I'll have to return to try the grilled steak, at $16.50.
At this point, you may want to return to the menu of "Today's Specials." Shrimp and vegetable tempura ($11.50) is standard, but the specials menu may include such desirable options as pumpkin ($6.75) and Okinawan sweet potato tempura ($7). You'll also find shrimp katsu ($10.50), which I haven't seen on any other menu. I wish I could say I tried it, but in speed-reading a menu, you sometimes miss a few items. This was one of them and now, of course, I'll have to go back.
Another unusual item on the specials list was cracker chicken ($7), made light and crispy with a coating of crumbled Ritz crackers. Unfortunately, though unblackened, the deep-fried crackers still end up with a bitter burned flavor. That didn't stop me from crunching away on several strips of chicken. The airy, crisp texture made it possible to overlook the bitterness and health cost.
By this time I was ready for dessert, only to find the restaurant has none to offer. I'm sure this will change as well. For now, you'll have to be content with a sip from the regular bar menu or one of the day's special drinks. Homemade sangria, at $5.50 per glass, fit the bill for dessert, as something fruity, chilly and intoxicating.
